by Helen Jones

Wednesday Wander – Portmeirion, Wales

I’ve chosen to wander to the village of Portmeirion, North Wales, this week. There are a couple of reasons for doing so; one, it’s a pretty interesting place and, two, it’s fifty years ago this week since filming started on cult television series The Prisoner, which used the village as its backdrop.

The Prisoner starred Patrick McGoohan as a man known only as Number Six, held prisoner in the village for reasons that remain unclear. Every week he would try to escape, and every week he would fail. The other residents of the village were also known by numbers, rather than names, and huge white balloons called Rovers floated about, preventing the inhabitants from escaping. (For more info, check out this BBC News website article). While the show only ran for seventeen episodes, it became a cult classic – Prisoner conventions are held at the village every year, and the annual music festival is called Number Six, in homage to McGoohan’s character.

But even without the bizarre alternate world of The Prisoner, Portmeirion is, as I said, a rather interesting place. Built between 1925 and 1975, it is the brainchild of Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, who wanted to create an homage to the Mediterranean coast. However, this particular slice of Italianate heaven is set on the rather less balmy, yet no less beautiful, North Welsh coast, where the sea shines silver under rolling clouds, mountains stretching green into the distance.

The lush gardens and buildings have inspired many writers and musicians over the years – Noel Coward wrote Blithe Spirit while staying there, while Iron Maiden wrote a song called The Prisoner which included a sample of dialogue from the show. The village has also featured in videos for Supergrass, XTC and Siouxsie & The Banshees, to name a few, as well as being used in film and TV productions including Doctor Who and Cold Feet. Frank Lloyd Wright, the esteemed architect (and one of my favourites) visited the village in 1959 – the list goes on…

I first visited Portmeirion as a child then, later, returned as an adult. It was as magical as I remembered, even on a cloudy day – the colours and shapes beautiful against the lush green shrubbery. And, hidden among the trees, my friend and I found a small pet cemetery complete with gravestones – a poignant reminder of the family who owned and lived in the village for many years. Now Portmeirion is owned by a charitable trust and you can stay in the village itself, as most of the buildings were designed, and have always been used as, a hotel and self-catering cottages. I think it might be an ideal place to go for a writing retreat – anyone interested? 😀

Thanks for coming on another Wednesday Wander with me – see you next time!

🙂 I like that idea. Now, if you do end up having a retreat there I’ll need to start dreaming up ways to make and save money to afford such a wonderful trip. 🙂 I tell myself ‘someday, Rachael, someday.’

Well, it struck me it would be a great place to do something like that. But I get it about the travel, absolutely. And, knowing me, it will take me forever to sort anything out – if I ever do, I’ll give you plenty of notice, just in case… 🙂 Someday, indeed…

Well, it’s been funny going back through photos for these Wednesday Wanders, because I’m starting to see little bits and pieces of places I’ve cobbled together to make Ambeth. Certainly Portmeirion is part of it, especially the gardens. Interesting how the mind takes things and makes something new…

Ah, you’ve brought back some magical memories for me. It’s been years, but my visit there is so clear in my mind – its the sort of place you truly don’t forget. I went as a ‘Prisoner’ fan, and discovered so much more.

It’s a rather unusual place, isn’t it? I hadn’t thought about a retreat there until I started writing about it. Now I’ve even looked into accommodation – there are some splendid self-catering cottages there. Plus it’s in Wales, always a bonus 🙂